Starve The Heart
by Xana NightWish
Summary: Complete Ardon Redfern's worst nightmare comes true when he discovers his soulmate -boring werewolf Cayla Lupine. He must decide between her and Astara Blackthorn, the girl who is the love of his life.
1. Default Chapter

Title: Starve the Heart  
  
Disclaimers: Night World and everything related to it is the property of LJ Smith, I'm just borrowing it for fun. The storyline and unfamiliar characters come from my own imagination.  
  
Rating: PG  
  
Summary: Ardon Redfern's worst nightmare comes true when he discovers his soulmate in an ordinary, boring werewolf Cayla Lupine. He must decide between her and Astara Blackthorn, the girl who is the love of his life.   
  
Notes: feedback and constructive criticism would be great.   
  
Part 1  
  
"So what happened? Did he tell her the truth?" Maggie asked, almost nervous. "How'd she take it?"  
  
Thea shrugged, her shoulders dropping sadly. "I don't know, she's taking it pretty hard at the moment."  
  
Maggie couldn't even begin to imagine what Cayla must be feeling at the moment. She'd always believed soulmates was forever. No matter who the pair were, everything usually worked out. Delos was adapting fine to the modern world. He'd come from a place where people lived the way they had hundreds of years ago. Despite all their problems, they remained together and as much in love as ever.  
  
"What's the big deal, anyway?" she said out loud, shaking her head as she and Thea walked down the stairs and into one of the living rooms. Someone had turned MTV on the giant TV but no one appeared to be watching it. At the moment the Daybreak mansion was packed with people, but this particular room seemed to be devoid of them.   
  
"I don't know, James said something about some vampires had weird prejudices against werewolves." Thea paused for a second. "Though he did seem kind of guilty about that."  
  
Maggie didn't get it at all. Soulmates were meant to be together, no matter what the species. The way she saw it, that was the whole *point* of the concept, to point out the one who was right for you.   
  
"You scum bag!" she yelled, her hands balling into fists of anger as she watched Ardon Redfern hurrying past the door to the room she and Thea were in. His dark eyes glimmered with anger as Maggie practically *stalked* towards him.  
  
"Maggie, no!" Thea tried to hurry after her, grabbing her arm to stop her from actually hitting Ardon.  
  
"This *dirt bag* doesn't deserve to live, " Maggie raged. "It's - "  
  
"You know *nothing* about *anything*!" Ardon snapped, shoving her roughly to one side. As she stumbled over her own feet, Maggie was saved from falling by Thea. She stared after him in disbelief as he stormed away.  
  
"Why do you care so much?" The voice was that of Blaise Harman, Thea's cousin. Slightly cold and kind of arrogant. Maggie had never really liked Blaise, who was far too stuck up for her liking.  
  
"You don't have a soulmate, so I don't expect *you* to understand," Maggie snapped huffily. So she believed in true love between soulmates, it wasn't like she was the only one. She tried to look to Thea for support.   
  
Blaise shrugged. "It's stupid to tie yourself to one person to be stuck with another they barely know." She sauntered away, hips swaying.   
  
Thea just shrugged. "It's a strange concept, but it works, we both know it works," she said with a small smile. "And lots of other people do." She folded her arms. "So how are you going to get Cayla and Ardon to see the light then?"  
  
Maggie shook her head. "I don't know at the moment, but I *will*!"  
  
* * * 


	2. Part 2

Part 2  
  
"I trust you told that bitch there's not a chance in hell of anything happening?" Astara's crimson nails were running up and down Ardon's chest, the other beneath the sheets, stroking him gently. Gold hair fanned out around her oval face, a soft curtain of gentle curls.  
  
"Yeah," he said lazily, folding his arms behind his head and leaning on them.   
  
A few red bulbs lit her bedroom, and some incense and scented candles were burning. She loved that sort of witchy stuff thing, even though she was a vampire, like him. Ardon tended to put up with anything she wanted, mainly because he loved her more than anything. He rolled over impulsively, lying on top of her, cupping her perfect angelic face in his palms. Astara smiled, touching his lips with one of her delicate artist fingers.   
  
"I love you," he whispered. "Just you, you know that, right?"  
  
Astara nodded. "I don't get that stupid soulmate thing. It spoils everything."  
  
Ardon shook his head. "Me neither. Nothing is going to chance."  
  
Astara nodded, smiling, and turning to lie on her stomach. "Hold me while I fall asleep."  
  
"Sure." He snuggled close to her and held her tight.  
  
She had been the love of his life for the last three years. They'd known each other practically forever, but most of the time had managed to hate each other. Ardon couldn't believe she was now the most important thing in his life. He knew she'd been hurt but the sudden shock of that damn soulmate thing with that werewolf bitch. He already had a girlfriend he loved, the were-bitch needed to understand that. Mystical forces were not going to change anything. He found himself awake for most of the night.  
  
* * * 


	3. pART 3

Part 3  
  
Cayla didn't really feel like joining the rest of the Daybreakers that evening. The small human girl called Maggie had finally left her alone. Cayla had grown tired of hearing her endless enthusiasm about how she needed to have faith and she'd get her soulmate in the end, they were meant to be together and no one could do anything about that.  
  
Cayla sighed. Just another discrimination against werewolves. She had known right from the start a Redfern vampire would never accept her. He'd tried to convince her it was because he already *had* a girlfriend. Cayla had known that. There had been that glimmer of hope when she had discovered the connection, just maybe, *maybe* he could change his mind and realise she was the right one for him.  
  
~Wishful thinking~ she thought sadly.   
  
If she were anything but a werewolf, she might have stood a chance. It had been happening to her all her life. She'd run for Class President in junior high, only to be beaten by a witch. She'd wanted to be a cheerleader in her freshman year, oddly enough, the vampire leading the squad had denied her the opportunity. She was even positive she'd flunked some classes because the Night World teachers had recognised what she was. (Maybe that part was just paranoia).  
  
"You don't have to take this sitting down you know."  
  
Bored, she had managed to find her friend Shania online with her AOL messenger.  
  
"What'd you mean?" Cayla typed back. She was used to this by now. She just tended to put up with what she got.  
  
"You never stand up for yourself. Do something about this." Was Shania's reply. "He's yours."  
  
Cayla wasn't even sure she *wanted* Ardon if he was already obsessed with Astara Blackthorn. What was the point of going for a guy who was already madly in love with his girlfriend?  
  
"Do something about the bitch." Shania insisted.  
  
After her last message, Shania's user name disappeared. She had turned off her AOL messenger, leaving Cayla to ponder what she had said. She logged off herself, sitting on her window seat, thinking.   
  
Could she really do something about Ardon and Astara? She smiled faintly. ~What am I going to do? Start the Werewolf's Are People Too group?~ Clearly Shania had meant for her to do more than that.  
  
But what? She didn't really know. How could she do anything against two vampires who were constantly surrounded by people?  
  
Spreading rumours, gossip and starting trouble for them was kind of dull. She had an imagination somewhere inside her head. All she had to do was drag it out and use it.  
  
* * *  
  
A/N: I know the parts for all my stories are kind of short, but that's just the way I write - regular short parts which I find easier to take in than parts of 30K plus in size. Thanks for all the feedback :) 


	4. Part 4

Part 4  
  
"I'm rally worried about Cayla," Thea said to Hannah the following morning. Thierry wasn't around at the moment with important Council business so Hannah was left in charge with the Daybreakers at the mansion.   
  
"Is she the girl who's having problems with her soulmate?" Hannah looked kind of odd sat in Thierry's large swivelly office chair, behind his large highly polished oak desk in a blue bikini top and Hawaiian shorts.  
  
Thea nodded. "Yeah, he's a vampire, and she's a werewolf. Something has made him turn his back on her. Maggie's having a fit." She smiled faintly. She couldn't understand why Maggie was taking this so personally. As far as she knew, Maggie didn't know Cayla all that well, none of them did. So what was the big deal?  
  
"One loyal soulmate wants to help out a couple with problems," Hannah said with a smile. "It's not *that* weird."  
  
"I know, I know, but - I'm still worried." Thea didn't know how Cayla could stand her soulmate wanting someone else. She knew she certainly wouldn't be able to cope if that ever happened to her. She would do everything in her power to get him back. That scared her. She'd done magic before she shouldn't have been able to do, called and sent a spirit back from Beyond the Veil. Imagine what she could do if she was pissed off and let the power just ride. Thank the goddess Eric loved her more than life itself.  
  
"I'm not exactly sure what it is you're expecting me to do here," Hannah said. "I do understand you're concern."  
  
Thea managed a weak smile. "It's just - I think maybe we should keep an eye on her. She could probably use a friend who doesn't have a soulmate, or someone who this has happened to."  
  
Hannah was silent a few seconds while she thought, then nodded. "I'll see what I can do."   
  
Thea nodded and stood up, leaving the office. She was surprised to run into Cayla coming down the staircase. Cayla had a very odd look on her face for someone who had been rejected by her own soulmate. Almost - too serene. Thea didn't understand.   
  
Was she over reacting about this soulmate problem? Maybe Cayla could handle it better than everyone seemed to think. "Oh, sorry, didn't see you there, are you okay?"  
  
Cayla's smile was strange. "I'm fine. Kind of hungry, I need a snack." She walked away in the direction of the kitchen.  
  
Thea couldn't help thinking something wasn't quite right there.  
  
* * * 


	5. Part 5

Part 5  
  
"So what happened?"  
  
Astara didn't want to talk about it. As far as she was concerned, it was none of Regan's business, anyway.  
  
"He said nothing was going to happen." Astara wasn't in the mood for dealing with vermin high school either. She just wanted to stay home, snuggled up safe and warm with Ardon, let him hold her close where they would be together and not have to deal with the rest of the world.   
  
"I can't believe someone would be *stupid* enough to *try* something like this." Regan shook her head, pausing at her locker.   
  
"What'd you mean?" Astara wondered why Regan was concerned anyway. It wasn't like she had a soulmate or the need to think about these things.   
  
"Oh come on, think about it, lonely boring werewolf. I bet she's *faking* it. It'll be a spell of some sort. "  
  
"Is that even possible?" Astara had been so shocked when Ardon had told her, she'd never even stopped to think about how he had discovered this.   
  
Regan shrugged, smiling at her reflection in the mirror at the back of the locker, fluffing her dark red curls, adding a touch of dark pink lip-gloss, smiling appreciatively at what she saw, taking out the books she needed for that morning and shutting the locker. "Anything is possible with the right magic."  
  
Astara frowned, not too sure that was necessarily a good thing. She wasn't too fond of witches. "But would a witch that powerful agree to work for a stupid werewolf."  
  
Regan shrugged again. "She's a Day Dork, they're all soulmate crazy."  
  
Astara sighed. This just wasn't fair. She had finally managed to find a guy she loved, the last person she would ever have expected, and some stupid mystical *thing* wanted to take that away.  
A concept no one really understood shouldn't rule the way you lived your love life. Did that make sense to anyone but her?  
  
"We have to do something about her," Regan said as they headed into their journalism class. "I've already called in my friend Karma. He'll make that Cayla bitch thing twice about messing with magic and Ardon again."  
  
Astara even found herself smiling at that, Regan had some very odd friends who occasionally managed to come in handy. Considering the situation, she was actually looking forward to see what this one had to offer.  
  
* * * 


	6. Part 6

Part 6  
  
The following morning Cayla was getting a lot of strange looks from the students she passed by. She didn't understand it. It wasn't like she had done anything wrong. Hell, if anything *she* was the victim here. It wasn't fair that her soulmate wasn't even giving her a chance.  
  
Most of her morning classes Astara Blackthorn's bitchy friends were whispering about her, some even outrageous enough to actually sneer and point at her. The Night People seemed to think it was *funny* that she should suffer like this.  
  
She didn't see Shania until lunch. "Have you thought about our conversation last night?" Shania asked once they were sat down.  
  
Cayla didn't feel like eating anything. "I've thought about it." She had thought and dreamed about it most of the night. But had no idea how to even pull off something like this without getting caught. Movies made it seem so easy, but then those crime detective shows were an irritating reminder that there was always evidence there no matter how hard you cleaned up after yourself.  
  
"Astara and Regan cheated on last week's algebra exam," Shania offered. "I have proof."  
  
Cayla snorted. "That's boring. I want to do something - bigger."  
  
Shania's eyebrow raised. A frown marred her pretty face as she began toying nervously with a lock of her soft brown hair. "What'd you mean, bigger?"  
  
Cayla shrugged. She scowled as Astara glided in. That bitch was so golden and perfect it was sickening. Even Ardon was now welcome at the popular people's table.  
  
"She has no idea what it's like to be an ordinary person. She wouldn't last for five minutes without her cell phone, or a TV or her friends." Cayla's tone was getting slightly guttural, almost like she was snarling.  
  
"So what are you going to do to make her feel that? I can do some spells - "  
  
Cayla shook her head, a small twisted smile covering her face. "No. We never had this conversation."  
  
"But I thought - it was *my* idea!"  
  
"You're *suggestion*," Cayla said, standing up. "I don't want you involved."  
  
Shania wouldn't understand at the moment that Cayla was doing this for her own good. She'd understand eventually, or maybe she wouldn't.  
  
Whatever. Cayla couldn't do her plan if she had her best friend to worry about. The less Shania knew about this point, the better.  
  
Cayla was in a much better mood that afternoon.  
  
* * * 


	7. Part 7

Part 7  
  
"So what'd you want me to do then?"   
  
Regan was extremely pleased when she got home from school that afternoon, to find Karma waiting in her room, spread out on her bed, almost tiger like, smiling seductively at her. Long blond hair fell around his shoulders, glinting faintly in the dull evening light. His amber eyes glittered with wicked amusement, his sculpted lips curved into a smile. His long legs were stretched out, crossed at the ankles, clad in black leather pants. His shiny black shirt had only the last few buttons fastened, showing of his smooth, pale chest. It was all Regan could do to stop herself pouncing on him and ravishing him.   
  
"Maybe later," Karma said, still smirking. "But you did call me here for a reason, you gonna let me in on what that reason is?" He inspected his nails. "I'm a busy vampire, you know."  
  
Regan chuckled, tossing her purse on the floor, shaking her head. "Sometimes, I swear you're a girl trapped in a man's body."  
  
Karma shrugged, leaning back against her headboard. "You'd be surprised how often I hear that."  
  
Regan sat on her desk chair. "Situation is this. My friend Astara, you remember her? Well her boyfriend, the love of her life, ran into that stupid soulmate thing with a *werewolf* for crying out loud!"  
  
Karma nodded. "Yeah. I get the point, you don't like her. Again, I ask - "  
  
"There's no one I know better at seduction and torture like you, be it he, she or it. You're the best." She usually wasn't so open with people, particularly when she wanted them to do something for her. What was it about Karma that made her react differently? "I can get someone else if you want."  
  
Karma smiled again. "Who's the puppy?"   
  
"Cayla. Her name is Cayla Lupine."  
  
"Leave it to me." He left the room.  
  
Regan watched him curiously as he went. He was acting very strange. He was usually much smoother, flirty, he was supposed to enjoy what she'd asked him to do. Why wasn't he enjoying his new task?  
  
She shrugged, dismissing the thought as she turned on her small TV, telling herself to be content that at least he was doing what she'd asked.   
  
Cayla, you're going to wish you'd never been born she thought.  
  
* * * 


	8. Part 8

Part 8  
  
Ardon hadn't bothered with high school that day. He just couldn't face the discussions of Astara's bitchy friends. He loved her to death, but hated the company she kept.  
  
She lived and died by their opinions. If her friends didn't approve, then Astara only listened to them. They'd want some explanation for why he was breaking her heart. He had none. Apart from the thought that maybe someone was playing a practical joke on him.  
  
Pairing him with a werewolf - but who would find something so sickening so funny?   
  
He'd spent most of the day in the gym trying to work off some of the stress, but with little success. Around 6pm he gave up and decided to go hunting. Killing something sweet and innocent would make him feel better. He could find something for Astara too.  
  
He hadn't heard from her since last night, providing she was still speaking to him. There was no reason she shouldn't. He'd made it clear that *she* was the one he loved.   
  
"I heard about your puppy."  
  
Ardon gritted his teeth. He'd thought things couldn't suck anymore than they already did. But it looked like he was wrong. As he left the gym, it was just his luck that he'd run into the *last* person he wanted to see. His spoilt older sister Verlaine. She was smirking cruelly. "I'm sure Astara must *love* that one."  
  
He couldn't beat her up in a public place. Not in a gym, at least, where there were probably people strong enough to pull him back. That was one of Verlaine's most annoying habits. She loved to mess with people's minds. She always picked just the right spot to get her needle in. Usually somewhere were her victim couldn't retaliate.  
  
"Rot in hell," he snapped, shoving her out the way.   
  
"Hey, maybe your puppy can get together with Ocean," Verlaine called after him. "That'd be a fun combination. Does Astara even *know* about Ocean?"  
  
Verlaine waved, in an almost friendly manner before tossing her raven hair over her shoulder and heading off for the ladies changing rooms. Ardon stalked out. Damn that rotten fucking bitch. Why the hell did she have to pick *now* to show up? He hadn't known Ocean was still alive?  
  
"Hey, there you are. Where have you been all day?"  
  
He managed a weak smile as Astara wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him gently.   
  
"You're in a good mood," he commented, hoping his voice didn't sound too strained.   
  
Astara graced him with a dazzling smile. "A very good mood. Regan's called Karma to deal with our - problem."  
Ardon tried to remember who Karma was. Then groaned. "Wait a minute, the freak no one's sure is a he, she or it?" His eyes rolled in disgust.  
  
"*He* may be weird, but he gets the job done," Astara pointed out.   
  
Ardon grunted. "Look, something's come up I gotta take care of."  
  
Astara watched him curiously for a minute, then nodded, kissing him again. "Okay, but everyone's going to the Black Hole at nine, don't disappoint me." She kissed his cheek a third time and walked into the gym.  
  
Ardon got in his car. Of Karma was taking care of Cayla, he needed to deal with Ocean and Verlaine. Before Astara found out.  
  
* * * 


	9. Part 9

Part 9  
  
"What'd you think she's up to?" Maggie asked.   
  
Shania shrugged. "I don't know," she admitted. "We were just *talking*, I didn't expect she'd take me seriously." Of course Cayla wouldn't listen. She'd been practically *dancing* through her afternoon classes.  
  
"I didn't mean it, I really didn't," she whispered.  
  
"I take it you tried talking to her?" Maggie said.  
  
Shania nodded. Talking to Cayla once hadn't done much good. Okay, she could understand that Cayla was very upset, who wouldn't be after what she had been through? There were other guys out there, people who would love her, who wouldn't care that she happened to be a werewolf. It was so pathetic that something like that should be important. Unfortunately Shania didn't make up the rules.   
  
"She's not in her room." Thea came down stairs. "No one else has seen her. Where would she be?"  
  
Shania shrugged. Cayla was a very private person. "I don't know. Anywhere I can think of we're checking out."  
  
"Well *that* was a total taste of time," Blaise complained as she and Poppy came in. "Cayla has disappeared."  
  
"She's got to be *somewhere*. She can't just vanish," Poppy pointed out.  
  
"Let's just think about this rationally," Thea said reasonably to the group gathering around by the door of the Daybreak mansion. "She could just want to be alone, and maybe she won't do anything after all."  
  
Blaise snorted in contempt, leaning heavily on the white marble pole at the bottom of the staircase. "Oh please. You discover your soulmate and he doesn't want you. You're *hardly* going to just let him go. The guy's supposed to be the love of your life."  
  
Maggie eyed her dubiously. "What happened to all your soulmates are a waste of time and not being tied down?"  
  
Blaise shrugged her slender shoulders. "I still stand by that. That doesn't mean I don't understand where Cayla's coming from." Blaise turned and walked off up the stairs, hips swaying.  
  
Shania wondered what that girl was even doing at Daybreak mansion sometimes. Thea had told them Blaise could really come through when she wanted to. Shania thought she just seemed like an opinionated bitch.  
  
"I can't believe I'm actually going to say this, but Blaise does actually have a point," Poppy said.  
  
"Point about what?" Cayla had come in the front door and was making her way through the group towards the stairs.   
  
"Where have you *been*? We've been looking *everywhere* for you!" Maggie said, reaching for Cayla's arm.  
  
Cayla shook her off. She glared at Shania. Shania stared at her sneakers refusing to meet Cayla's eyes.   
  
"Around. Since when was everyone so concerned about where I was, anyway?" Cayla demanded. She sounded annoyed, and almost cold.   
  
Shania guessed she couldn't blame her for being upset. She wouldn't like her private life invaded, but then she didn't have any insane plans in mind to deal with annoying vampires.   
  
"We're just concerned is all," Thea answered.  
  
"Whatever." Cayla turned and walked away.  
  
"How are we supposed to watch her without her getting suspicious?" Poppy was watching Cayla disappearing.   
  
Shania didn't know. Part of her thought that Ardon deserved to suffer and so did Astara for getting in the way. She didn't want to be responsible for something happening to them.  
  
"Maybe they'll work out," Thea offered.  
  
Maggie sighed. "That would be the plus side. But I think we can all agree Cayla's not going to sit on this."  
  
There were murmurs and nods.   
  
"But how are we going to help her before she does something she'll regret?" Shania pointed out.  
  
* * * 


	10. Part 10

Part 10  
  
Cayla slammed her bedroom door shut. Ugh, these stupid Daybreakers were so *annoying!* They were trying to be helpful, but they were really starting to piss her off. She tossed a hard backed book against the wall.  
  
She was too frustrated to start thinking about how hard this was going to be. She'd trusted Shania and the bitch had gone blabbing. How the hell was she supposed to get anything done with Poppy, Thea and Maggie watching her every move.  
  
She couldn't stay here, it was too much.   
  
She stormed out of the room, managing to avoid people as she looked for an exit that wasn't obvious like the front or back door.   
  
"Oh, Cayla, there you are, wait a sec."  
  
Cayla gritted her teeth, hearing Lady Hannah's voice. "What?"  
  
"There's someone I want you to meet."  
  
Cayla wasn't in the mood to meet new people. She turned around to find herself facing a girl who wasn't all that different from her. The girl was average height, thin, with long wavy hair a shiny blue-black. Her skin was camellia pale, her eyes large and dark.  
  
"This is Ocean Geller. She's had some issues with Ardon Redfern as well."  
  
"Uh-huh." Cayla glared at the girl, folding her arms.  
  
Lady Hannah waited a moment, looking from one to the other. "Okay," she said after a few moments of tense silence. "I'll leave you guys alone." She hurried off down the corridor.  
  
"Whatever went on I don't want to know," Cayla said bluntly. "Your issues are your problem."  
  
"Issues being I think he's a cold hearted bastard who gets what he deserves. And something needs to be done about that bitch of a girlfriend of his,"  
  
Diamond blinked. She hadn't been prepared for that. "Okay, starting to be more interested."  
  
Ocean shrugged. "I was something quick and easy - until he found out I was a werewolf," she said bitterly.   
  
Cayla was surprised. "You're a werewolf too?"  
  
Ocean grimaced and nodded. "It's so pathetic the way snooty upper class vampires automatically dismiss us."  
  
Cayla nodded, wondering how Hannah had managed to find someone with the same feelings as she had. "How'd you get here, anyway?"  
  
Ocean waved dismissively. "Not important. You want to make Astara Blackthorn suffer. Ardon deserves whatever he gets. I want to help."  
  
Cayla hadn't been prepared for anyone wanting to help. She hadn't thought there'd be anyone who understood. Her anger had evaporated, her mood vastly improving.  
  
Ocean's lips were curved in a mean smile. "I have a few ideas."  
  
Cayla chuckled. "Me too. I'm sure we can work something out."  
  
* * * 


	11. Part 11

Part 11  
  
The whole idea of destroying someone just because you didn't like them because they were a werewolf was more than a little pathetic in Karma's opinion.  
  
He was more inclined to help Cayla than destroy her. He smirked as he stopped in the drive of the Daybreak mansion. He got out, letting the valet park it for him. He was the last person anyone would think of as a spy.   
  
Maybe part of the reason was his outlandish appearance. He didn't care about looks. It wasn't the most important thing in the world to Karma.   
  
He paused by the front door after ringing the bell, reminding himself to ask Lord Thierry for a key or access pass. The valets were still giving him suspicious looks. Karma smirked.  
  
Two girls coming out a side passage caught his eyes. One of them was Cayla. Getting a glimpse of the other he wasn't sure he was seeing right. "Ocean?" he whispered. Ocean. Teaming up with Cayla. Ardon was going to get his ass kicked by a couple of angry puppies. That was certainly going to be something to see.  
  
He pushed the doorbell again, starting to get annoyed. They were sure as hell taking their sweet time. After what seemed like ages, the door finally opened.   
  
"Oh. You." Lupe eyed him dubiously as he stepped inside.   
  
"Isn't it nice to know you've been missed," Karma snorted, smirking.   
  
"I'm assuming you're here for a reason?" Lupe closed the door behind him.  
  
He nodded. "Yeah. Regan Keller is expecting me to help her destroy Cayla Lupine. Something to do with all this soulmate business and Ardon Redfern." He shook his head in disgust.   
  
"Hannah's looking into that. Come on." Lupe led him through the ground floor of the mansion to Thierry's office. She knocked on the door and went in. A few seconds later she beckoned for Karma to come in.  
  
"Lupe tells me you've been asked by Regan Keller to deal with Cayla?" Hannah was sitting on the large desk, legs swinging.  
  
"Yeah. Regan and Astara are having hissy fits over this soulmate thing." He sighed. "It seems to nuts to go so far as to destroy the poor girl."  
  
"Soulmates and love make people do the wacky," Hannah said. Even though her expression was grave, a small smile was pulling at the corner of her mouth.  
  
Karma's eyebrows arched. Okay, the Lady of Circle Daybreak was quoting from Buffy the Vampire Slayer? Whatever. When it came to love, Karma wasn't ashamed to admit to being extremely promiscuous and bisexual. He played the filed all the time. He sated his needs when he felt. It was much easier than having to deal with a soulmate or in love.  
  
"I've found a girl who had a similar problem and got over it. She's talking with Cayla now."  
  
"You mean Ocean Geller?"  
  
Hannah was surprised. "You know her?"  
  
"Sort of. Ocean was one of Ardon's girls. She was nuts about him - then he ditched her for Astara. She *hates* him."  
  
Hannah looked back at him blankly. "Huh?"  
  
"You stick the two of them together, what do you think is going to happen?" Karma would have expected that was pretty obvious. From what he'd heard Hannah was supposed to be really smart.  
  
"Crap," she said with a sigh. "I didn't think of that. Can you intercept them or anything?"  
  
"I can try. What about Regan and Astara?"  
  
Hannah shrugged. "Try and distract them. Don't kill them unless you have to."  
  
Karma didn't comment and left the room. Distract Ocean and Cayla while at the same time distract Regan and Astara. He couldn't be in two places at once.  
  
He was pretty certain nothing would make Astara want to change sides, nor Regan. Short of killing them, what was he supposed to do? ~Well~ he thought. ~I don't have to kill them personally~  
  
One of the good things about being a spy. You met some interesting people who sometimes could turn out to be useful.  
  
* * * 


	12. Part 12

Part 12  
  
Ardon slammed the phone down in annoyance. Nothing was going right for him He couldn't get hold of anyone who had seen Ocean recently.   
  
After seeing her at the gym, he hadn't heard from Verlaine yet. It had only been a few hours. Then again, all it took for Verlaine's poison to get working was a few hours.  
  
He collapsed in a chair in his room, throwing a rubber ball at a mini basketball net on the wall and missing. He was too annoyed to get up and try again. He tapped his feet on the black carpet angrily. Ardon was supposed to be meeting Astara and her dopey friends at the local club Black Hole in about ten minutes.  
  
He had done nothing to get to Ocean. He should have killed the bitch when he had the chance. Instead he had found it amusing to leave her deflated and broken hearted. Astara was having a hard enough time dealing with the fact Cayla was his stupid soulmate. She didn't need to be hurt by Ocean as well.   
  
Ardon got bored of sitting around his messy room not doing much but complaining, if only to himself. He'd go to the club and have fun with his girlfriend.   
  
He stopped on his driveway beside his car, looking around, a shiver running down his spine. The neighbourhood was quiet, the houses on the road still and silent, lights glowing in many windows. A cat ran across the road, eyes glowing in the yellow glow of a bulb from a street lamp. So why was his skin on edge?  
  
"Enjoy her while you can."  
  
Ardon's teeth gritted in fury as he heard Cayla's voice. "What'd you mean?" He forced himself to turn and face her.   
  
Cayla stood in the car, a strange malicious grin plastered across her face. "If you're smart, you'll figure it out."  
  
She started to walk away, almost sauntering. Ardon stared after her. Then figured it out. "No. Touch her and I'll *kill* you," he hissed, furious. He reached out to grab her arm, which was a mistake.  
  
The minute his hands touched hers, lightning exploded in his mind, his vision became tinged with pink sparks. The next thing he knew he had pulled her into his arms and was pressing his lips on hers. Heat filled him, heat and passion. It was all he could do to keep from ripping her clothes off right then and there.  
  
And she was responding to his touch. Cayla was pressing herself against him, her tongue hungrily exploring his mouth. "Inside," she whispered breathlessly.   
  
They were back inside Ardon's house in a blur of speed. Clothes were flying off before they'd even hit the couch. Ardon was immensely glad his stupid parents were out of town. Cayla lay underneath him, reaching up, moaning, pushing herself up to meet his thrusts. They reached climax at more or less the same time.  
  
Afterwards they lay together, sweaty and clinging to each other. It wasn't until she had gone an hour later Ardon realised what an idiot he had been. Astara was going to kill him.  
  
* * *  
  
Cayla should have been happier. She had slept with her soulmate. He did want her after all. Two days later she hadn't heard a thing from him. He hadn't called all weekend.   
  
She stood up, putting the toilet seat down, wiping traces of vomit from her mouth as she flushed it. She reached for a glass of water on the window sill.  
  
"You okay?" Ocean appeared in the bathroom doorway. "Looked yet?"  
  
Cayla shook her head. "Can't. You do it."  
  
Ocean picked up something from the sink, checking her watch, then a packet. "Oh," she said.  
  
"Oh?"  
  
"It's blue."  
  
Cayla groaned. "So I'm pregnant then."  
  
* * * 


	13. Part 13

Author's note: sorry this has taken forever, I've been on vacation for quite some time, then had to get ready for university practically straight afterwards, but now my life has some sort of order to it again, parts should be coming much more rapidly again.  
  
Part 13  
  
Even though everything seemed to be fine, Astara wad convinced it wasn't going to last. Ardon had become as attentive to her as ever. Regan's plans to destroy Cayla had gone nowhere, whatever she and her friend Kharma planned, the irritating bitch seemed to avoid them and weasel out of every trap.  
  
The peacefulness of the past month came to an end one Sunday afternoon. The downward spiral of events started first while Astara sat in a coffee shop at the mall waiting for Regan to show up. She was surprised to be approached by a beautiful raven haired girl.  
  
"You're Astara Blackthorn?"  
  
Astara looked at the beautiful elegant girl dressed in a white silk blouse with pearl buttons and designer jeans. She sat down without an invitation, Astara tried to recall why the girl seemed vaguely familiar. "Yes, and who might you be?"  
  
"Verlaine Redfern," the girl said. "Ardon's sister."  
  
Astara shrugged. "Oh, right." She had met the girl a few times at Ardon's parent's, and recalled him complaining about what a bitch the girl was, how unfair and annoying it was she was so spoiled. "Once or twice." She sat back in her head. "What do you want?" She looked around the busy mall for signs of someone she knew, unfortunately, there was no one she recognised around.  
  
"You may have noticed your enemy Cayla has a new friend."  
  
Astara frowned, recalling how a new girl had started two weeks ago, she and Cayla had become almost instant friends. "Yeah, sow hat?"  
  
"Ask Ardon who Ocean Gellar really is." Verlaine stood up and waved, tossing her glorious black locks over her shoulder before sauntering off.  
  
Astara stared after her, wondering what the hell she was talking about.  
  
"Who's she?" Regan finally turned up just as Verlaine turned the corner.  
  
"Ardon's sister, and you're late," Astara snapped.  
  
"What'd she want?"  
  
Astara shrugged.  
  
"Then let's shop."  
  
Verlaine's words kept floating back to her mind. What did Ocean have to do with Ardon? At home later she sat staring at her phone, debating whether or not she should call him and demand an answer. She didn't want him to think she didn't trust her. She wanted to believe that Verlaine was just being a bitch and trying to psyche her out.  
  
She flopped back on her bed, annoyed to admit that if that had been the purpose of Verlaine's visit, she'd done her job.  
  
Astara reached out to pick up the phone when her friend Miranda Lewis came bursting into her room. "You are *not* going to believe what I've just heard!" Miranda was a Night World spy who lived in the Daybreak mansion. From what Astara knew, she wasn't doing much of a job. Now it looked like she had actually found something useful.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Cayla Lupine is *pregnant*," Miranda announced.  
  
Astara just stared at her. "What?"  
  
"It's all over the Daybreak mansion."  
  
"And you're telling me, why?" Astara felt numb. She was too shocked even to fly into a rage.  
  
"Well, I thought you should know so you could start.you know.moving on?" Miranda moved away from the bed, closer to the door.  
  
Astara laughed hollowly. "Move *on*?"  
  
"Well, it's kind of obvious who knocked her up."  
  
Astara had known things with Ardon had been a little too perfect lately. Did he even know about this? "Do you know who Ocean Geller is?"  
  
Miranda shrugged, tugging on her long dark braid. "Some werewolf who moved into the Daybreak mansion about a month ago. Ardon dated her and dumped her, like two months ago."  
  
"Like, two months ago, Ardon was still with *me*," Astara hissed through gritted teeth.  
  
"Guess he's not as wonderful as you thought."  
  
Astara nodded. Tears were burning in her eyes but she refused to cry in front of Miranda. "Obviously not."  
  
"What are you going to do about it?"  
  
Astara smiled.  
  
* * * 


	14. Part 14

Part 14  
  
Cayla had known she wouldn't be able to keep the secret of her pregnancy to herself forever. Ocean knew, but Ocean wasn't the type to go blabbing around to everyone. Yet somehow. Everyone at the Daybreak mansion seemed to know now.  
  
Cayla hadn't noticed any differences in her appearance yet. Before long she knew it would become obvious. She hadn't even told Ardon yet. She'd been content to continue seeing him secretly, it just made the affair more intense.  
  
Her affair with Ardon was just for her. No one, not even Ocean knew about that. She knew Ocean would kill her if she found out.  
  
Alone in her room, Cayla's hands pressed against her flat stomach longing to feel some signs of life from the child growing inside her. She didn't even know what the child was going to be - lamia or werewolf, or some combination of both.  
  
Maggie and Thea were knocking on her slightly open door. Cayla looked at them from the window seat she was sat on.  
  
"Are you really pregnant?" Maggie asked.  
  
"We've heard rumours that Miranda started, but you know what Miranda's like for spreading gossip," Thea said with a smile.  
  
Cayla's eyes rolled. She knew of Miranda Lewis, a witch who couldn't seem to keep her mouth shut. She must have overheard her talking to Ocean. Cayla nodded. "Yeah. I'm pregnant." She smiled. "And Ardon is the father."  
  
"See?" Maggie said with a grin. "I told you he'd come to his senses." She and Thea came into the room, sitting beside Cayla.  
  
Cayla couldn't help but grin back. Several weeks ago, she would never have believed this would be possible. She had been absolutely devastated that Ardon had rejected her simply because she was a werewolf. He had had no interest in their soulmate connection, only in that snotty little vampire bitch Astara,  
  
He hadn't dumped Astara yet, but Cayla enjoyed the thoughts of the look on her face when she found out. Atara deserved to know what a broken heart felt like.   
  
"I know, I know, you told me so."  
  
"Does he know yet?" Thea asked. "I haven't seen him around here."  
  
"Are you kidding me?" Cayla snorted., "Ocean would go bezerk if she saw him here. No," she confessed, " he doesn't know yet, but I'm going to tell him later on tonight."   
  
She found herself smiling, imagining what would happen. By nine months time she would have graduated. Then she and Ardon could get married just before the baby came. They could have their own place, maybe a condo in Florida where they could raise the baby. She could do a part time degree course, Ardon could work...and their baby would grow up loved and cherished and never looked down on and discriminated. Maybe someday their baby could even grow up to be President.  
  
Cayla sighed dreamily. How proud she would be with her son or daughter in charge of the White House. That would be even better - their daughter would be the first female President.  
  
"What are you so happy about?" Thea asked.  
  
Cayla was brought of her daybreak by the arrival of Ocean, who was practically skipping into the room, a huge silly smile on her face. "Ardon Redfern is dead," Ocean announced gleefully.  
  
* * * 


	15. Part 15

Part 15  
  
Karma looked over at Blaise, shaking his head as he drove them both back to the Daybreak mansion. "This isn't going to work."  
  
Blaise sighed with irritation, inspecting her newly manicured red nails. "I didn't see you coming up with a better plan."  
  
Karma didn't say anything. So far he'd managed to help Cayla avoid Regan and her insane need to make Cayla's life miserable. As far as he was aware, Regan still thought he was working for her. Which was good for his part. Only Astara had gone nuts and apparently tried to take matters into her own hands.  
  
But Astara was spoiled and used to having difficult things done for her. Luckily for Karma, Blaise had over heard her insane plan and between them they'd come up with a decoy.  
  
"We did what had to be done," Blaise said calmly.   
  
"She's going to be crushed."  
  
Blaise shrugged. "She'll get over it."  
  
"How can you be so cold?"  
  
"No one's supposed to know about the affair. Besides," Blaise added with a smirk, "you think I'd give away *all* my secrets?"  
  
Karma stared at her. When an angry horn blared at him, he quickly focused his attention back on his driving and recognised control of the car before it swerved across the road. "Secrets? What the hell are you talking about?"  
  
Blaise chuckled in her throaty, sexy way. "For me to know."  
  
* * *  
  
"I don't come cheap."  
  
Cayla nodded. She had little money, but she didn't care anymore. Revenge scoured her mind. She thought of nothing else. "I have two thousand bucks. Will that be enough?" She knew assassins would be expensive, and the money should be saved for when the baby came. She didn't care. There were seven months before the baby came, she'd have made more money by then.  
  
She had dragged out of Ocean the name of the only werewolf assassin known in the Night World. There was no way she'd spend the money on a leech. She couldn't see his face clearly. He had agreed to meet her in a Vegas bar. A strip club was his choice, and the last place anyone would think of looking for Cayla.  
  
"I guess it'll do." His voice was deep, throaty, but it told her very little about him.  
  
"Her name is Astara Blackthorn."  
  
"I know who she is. Okay; you have yourself a deal."  
  
Cayla smiled and handed him a suitcase. "As soon as I have conformation she's dead you'll get the other half."  
  
"Good enough for me."  
  
Cayla stood up and left the club after which she found herself wondering down the Strip surrounded by the masses of people. Ardon...gone? She still wasn't sure she believed it.  
  
Maybe she should have spent some of her money on having Miranda assassinated. That blabbermouth must have told Astara, and then Astara had murdered Ardon. Tears blurred Cayla's vision. The mingled smells of blood and sweat and the hundreds of people stirred the 'wolf part inside her. The happy couples walking hand in hand made her sick. She wanted to shift right there outside the dancing water display of the Bellagio hotel.  
  
"Don't go there, he's not worth it." The comforting hand on her shoulder was that of Lupe.  
  
"I loved him! We're soulmates! We're going to have a baby together!" Cayla snapped, gripping the railings that stopped her from falling into the water.  
  
"And you still have that baby. Losing it now and exposing yourself is going to get you *both* dead." Lupe said sharply.  
  
Cayla stared at her. The haze of red pain she felt was starting to fade from her vision. She moaned, tears slipping down her cheeks. "Okay," she said weakly. "Okay."  
  
Lupe sighed. "On the plus side there's no real evidence that it was Ardon that was murdered."  
  
Cayla snorted. "What are you going to do, call the squad from CSI and get them to investigate?" She laughed hollowly.  
  
Lupe chuckled. "If only we had one who helped with the Night World stuff.."  
  
"If it wasn't Ardon found dead, then who was it and where the hell is he?" Cayla let Lupe lead her to the waiting limo at the curb.  
  
"I don't know," Lupe said.  
  
Cayla didn't feel any better. Even if she did get rid of Astara, Ardon would still be dead. But Lupe was right about one thing. She still had Ardon's baby growing inside her. One true living memory of him. She pressed her hands against her stomach. She'd do anything for Ardon's baby.  
  
* * * 


	16. Part 16

Part 16  
  
He couldn't believe it. Cayla...pregnant with his child. To think how foolish Ardon had been on his first discovery of their soulmate connection. He'd already been madly in love with Astara, who he had known forever. He had been convinced she was the one for him. Until he'd given into instinct and his true soulmate.  
  
He'd been putting off breaking up with Astara. He'd known she would be outraged - she and Regan had been on the war path since his discovery of the soulmate thing with Cayla. That had just made the sex and the affair more appealing. So caught in the thrill of passion most of the time neither he nor Cayla had bothered being careful, so the pregnancy thing was both their faults.  
  
He hadn't been planning on letting Astara know about that. But somehow Astara had found out *before* he had and tried to kill him. Only, thanks to the surprising help of Blaise Harman and a guy he wasn't even sure *was* entirely a guy known only as 'Karma' he had managed to escape.  
  
Now Ardon was stuck in a crappy motel outside Vegas, away from this soulmate and growing baby. The former love of his life had tried to *stake* him. He kicked the coffee table in anger. Part of him knew he deserved this. He'd been crude and cruel to both women. And if that was how he treated them, how was he even going to cope with this new baby?  
  
Sighing, Ardon dropped on the couch moodily. There was nothing he could do to see Cayla. Not until Blaise told him he could.  
  
He was already sick of his own thoughts. There had to be *something* he could *do*, stuck here until the baby was born would drive him insane.  
  
* * *  
  
Verlaine cursed in annoyance at the vampire corpse on Astara's bedroom floor. Her plans for messing with Ardon and his sickeningly spoiled girlfriend had gone to hell. To top it all off, Ocean Geller had been in town for over two months and she hadn't figured out how to make that work to her advantage yet. There should be some way she could use Ocean to kick Ardon's worthless ass. Astara being dead so soon was not how she'd been planning things.  
  
"Your plans are always terrible anyway."  
  
Verlaine almost jumped at the unexpected voice behind her. "What the hell are *you* doing here?" she demanded, glaring furiously at Ocean. "Did you kill her?" She nodded at the mummified vampire corpse.  
  
Ocean shook her head. "She was already dead when I came here."  
  
Verlaine glanced over at her. "What are you doing here?" she repeated.  
  
Ocean just shrugged, smiling secretly.   
  
~Puppies~ Verlaine thought with disgust. "You despite my moron brother. I'd imagine you'd despise the girlfriend - the one he left you for - even more. And I'd also think you'd hate the other girl he knocked up. The one who's supposed to be your new best friend."  
  
"What?" Ocean's expression of shock was almost comical.  
  
Verlaine's eyebrow arched. So there was still some amusement to be had., and damage she could do. Maybe this day wouldn't be a waste after all.  
  
"Oh, he got that little soulmate of his pregnant."  
  
"No...she'd never sleep with him. He's scum."  
  
Verlaine snorted. "Wake *up* and smell the *affair. You think Cayla would tell you if she'd been manipulated by that soulmate connection?"  
  
"What's your problem?" Ocean snapped, rounding on her.  
  
Verlaine stepped back, surprised at the venom in the other girl's voice, the anger blazing in her eyes, "You get your kicks from destroying other people's lives? What's wrong with you?"  
  
Verlaine frowned, folding her arms. "There's nothing wrong with me. Get out of my way." She wasn't going to justify herself to some stupid little fleabag.  
  
"Who was he?"  
  
Verlaine stopped in the doorway, her back to Ocean. "None of your fucking business," she hissed.  
  
"Oh. Makes sense now. You got a broken heart, so not to get hurt again you turn your rage on everyone else and crown yourself the Ice Bitch."  
  
Verlaine felt hot tears rising in her eyes. Was this bitch psychic as well? "He was my soulmate. H was human. My brother found out and had the Council kill him." There was an awkward pause. The tears had spilled. Verlaine hadn't cried since the execution. She had been banished from her family and lived ever since in exile.  
  
"Say hi to your soulmate for me."  
  
Verlaine didn't understand what Ocean meant. Nor did she see the stake until she felt it.  
  
* * * 


	17. Part 17

Part 17  
  
"How could you not tell me?"  
  
Cayla sniffled, looking up from the pillows she was hugging. Lupe had dragged her back to the mansion. She had spent most of the time since alone wrapped up in bed too depressed to think about anything. Now Ocean had come barging into her room.  
  
"What?" She sat up, leaning back against the mountain of soft fake-fur pillows she had surrounded herself with.  
  
"The baby- it's Ardon's. How could you let that *monster* even *touch* you?"  
  
Cayla frowned. She had known she would have to have this conversation with Ocean at some point. Ocean just couldn't have picked a worse time. "How'd you find out?"  
  
"I ran into Verlaine. She told me."  
  
Cayla's frown remained. "Who?"  
  
"She's Ardon's older sister. Vicious piece of work, but dead now."  
  
"So why believe her?"  
  
"It's the kind of thing she loves to twist, messing with emotions. We were supposed to take Ardon down together. He hurt us both - and you go fuck the bastard and get knocked up?" Ocean's large dark eyes were blazing with unshed tears. She looked like a lost puppy.  
  
Cayla just shrugged helplessly. "We're soulmates," she said softly. "Maybe not ideal, but we couldn't help it."  
  
Ocean's tears spilled. Cayla felt a lump in her chest. "I understand your anger and vendetta, I really do, but - " She stopped herself. She couldn't seem to tell Ocean directly that she loved Ardon. He meant more to her than she could even find words for. "But he's gone," she finished, hating to remind herself of that. "And that's - well - that."  
  
"But not quite." Ocean wiped her eyes, nodding at Cayla's stomach.  
  
Cayla smiled, hand stroking her growing belly. "I guess not."  
  
"Oh, by the way, Astara's dead. Know anything about that?"  
  
Cayla fought back a smirk. She was a little surprised she hadn't heard from her assassin yet. He should have called to demand the rest of his money. Why hadn't he done so? "Um..no."  
  
Ocean snorted. "Yeah, right." She stood up, making to leave.  
  
Cayla caught her arm. "I'm sorry, I don't know what else to say."  
  
"There's nothing to say." Ocean left the room.  
  
Cayla sank back against the pillows. Verlaine.she'd of the girl, she did recall Ardon mentioning something about his vicious vindictive sister. Cayla had dismissed the thought earlier. Now, apparently, she didn't have to worry anymore. Nor about Astara getting her revenge. Well, Regan was going to flip when she found her best friend was dead, but Cayla had learned to deal with Regan. Everything seemed to have worked itself out. Even if she was left without a soulmate. * * * 


	18. Part 18

Part 18  
  
Seven months later.  
  
Cayla sat besides the bassinette staring at her sleeping child, a daughter she had named Ella-Grace. She had managed to graduate successfully, and two days later she had given birth. The girl had Ardon's eyes and beauty. No one knew what she was yet, werewolf, vampire or both, but it didn't really seem to matter.  
  
Blaise was knocking on her half open bedroom door with a strange smile on her dark lips. Her grey eyes were twinkling. Cayla eyed her suspiciously. "Something tells me this isn't just another well wisher and baby presents."  
  
Blaise's delicate eyebrows rose as she looked around the room full of cards and various necessities and cards for Ella-Grace. "Would you really object to more presents?"  
  
"I guess not," Cayla admitted, smiling a little.  
  
"No, it's not."  
  
Cayla found herself intrigued . "Oh? Who is it?"  
  
"I'll leave it to him to explain."  
  
Cayla's mood deflated. Lupe, Thea and Maggie had been trying to help her 'move on' the last few months. Pregnancy, hormones and dating just did not go together. It was hard not to compare other dates to her dead soulmate - the dead soulmate who was standing in the hallway where Blaise had just been.  
  
"This isn't - how can this - am I dreaming?" Cayla was too astounded to think of words.  
  
Ardon stopped and stepped into the room, pushing the door shut behind him. "No dream." His eyes moved over to the bassinette. "Our baby?"  
  
Cayla nodded. "She's sleeping. Her name is Ella-Grace."  
  
He stood looking at the sleeping baby, something between awe and fascination on his darkly handsome features. His fingers slipped into hers. Cayla's insides melted as their soulmate connection flared up. "How?" she asked softly, snuggling closer. His arm wrapped around her shoulder. Cayla let out a sigh of contented pleasure.  
  
"Does it matter? Circumstances were too difficult for me to stay without endangering you."  
  
"Blaise knew, didn't she?" She couldn't help wondering about it. Was she overreacting here? Blaise did have something of a reputation for shameless flirting.  
  
"You're overreacting," Ardon said with a smile, as if reading her thoughts. "You have Blaise to thank for saving my life and keeping me hidden."  
  
Cayla nodded. She should trust him. She had to trust him. "No more secrets. No more running out on me. No one else."  
  
He turned and caught her chin, looking into her eyes. "There will never be anyone else. I love you more than you could ever know."  
  
"I love you too." Cayla kissed him with all the passion she could muster. Sparks of love and intensity danced around the pair of them as they pressed together. Ardon's eyes were glowing with passion.  
  
"I'll be back in a sec." She ducked out the room and across the hall to where Maggie was trying to explain the concept of Big Brother USA to Delos as they watched TV together.  
  
"Can you guys do me a favour and watch the baby for a few hours?"  
  
"Sure," Maggie was grinning. "I see you met with your - guest."  
  
Cayla looked back at her room where Ardon was grinning at her from the doorway. "Was everyone in on this but me?"  
  
"We just figured it would be more suitable for him to wait until the baby was born before showing up," Maggie said, still grinning insanely. "You guys go do - whatever. We'll watch Ellie."  
  
Cayla nodded at Ardon who brought the bassinette into the room where Delos took it from him. Cayla took Ardon's hand and pulled him back into her room, closing the door behind them.  
  
THE END. 


End file.
